What do you think

[tonys]

Next week I intend to run ads in all my local papers right across my local area.

Just looking to nick a few a bit and pieces from the domestic sparks, if there's any work in my area (Herts and Essex)

I Need something to do and the odd pennies will come in handy until a longish contract starts in a few weeks.

Don't matter how qualified and how experienced I am, its what money people want to spend.

I'm thinking on the lines of £20 for the initial first hour of turning up, then maybe £15 an hour onwards.

Or should I go £20 then £10 onwards, bear in mind agencies don't want to pay that great money at the moment.

 

[ezzzekiel]

worst thing in the world lowering prices it creates a downturn, other legit spark then have to compete followed by the cowboys

 

[tonys]

Tony

My advert is only going to be a small box consisting of say, Fully Qualified Electrician, 27 years experience, fully insured, all work under taken, same day response. I can always show customers my Gold Card if they want to see my qualifications lol only joking.

Murdoch

I would imagine about £300/£400 to cover the area for say 6 weeks. Ill be testing the water so to speak, because I want to get a feel to see if the area as any potential, might already be a lot of price slashing going on. Like I said the area is stuffed with small builders and tradesmen.

Don't get me wrong, Ive worked on a self employed basis for 22 years, but never messed about locally. My work as always been subcontracted from bigger companies, but the days of good price work is dead as far as I'm concerned. Also I keep away from the NI with a limited company.

Thanks for all the posts everyone, some good posts for me to think about.

Cheers Tony

 

[nickblake]

Here's something for you to think about , im an experianced spark self employed 30 years experiance , to compete with the big guy's who send out apprentices on jobs and charge £16.60 per hour and pay £8.00 , i charge £22.50 per hour , by the time i take out the running costs tax NI , rates , and other costs , that rate drops to £5.50 per hour so its very little less that id get for stacking sheves at tesco's , so the prices are going up to at least £24.50 per hour may be more , for my experiance and knowlage i think its worth it , with a £60.00 call out i think its more than reasonable when i look at mechanics on £95.00 per hour and BT £180 call out fee's so think about it

 

[TPES]

Here's something for you to think about , im an experianced spark self employed 30 years experiance , to compete with the big guy's who send out apprentices on jobs and charge £16.60 per hour and pay £8.00 , i charge £22.50 per hour , by the time i take out the running costs tax NI , rates , and other costs , that rate drops to £5.50 per hour so its very little less that id get for stacking sheves at tesco's , so the prices are going up to at least £24.50 per hour may be more , for my experiance and knowlage i think its worth it , with a £60.00 call out i think its more than reasonable when i look at mechanics on £95.00 per hour and BT £180 call out fee's so think about it

I totally agree, it would take us all or at least the majority of us to agree and charge what were worth for it to work, otherwise putting your prices up will just lower your turnover.

I don't know how other trades manage to get the higher rates and call out fees.

I think customers just don't appreciate what we've been through to get where we are and our cost involved In getting here.

 

[tonys]

Nick

Question for, if your only clearing £5.50 an hour after overheads why carry on?

Stationary car mechanics (garages) set their prices to cover all the overheads, rents business rates etc and they all work on the same ballpark figures within reason and at £96.00 an hours, sparks do look cheap £20.00.

I ain't arguing with anyone, but when push comes to shove and people get desperate (no me by the way) they will start under cutting to win work.

Back on to the car, people just love their motors a lot more than socket outlet etc, so they will always find money for them, but you know when it comes to electrics or a new TV, sod the electrics.

So do you not think that the consumer is going to start tightening their belts and sparkies either tow the line or lose out even more, because of price slashing etc.

 

[egginyourface]

i did a block ad in my local rag for 14 weeks here in north london, the only calls you get are people trying to sell me stuff.

ive found i get better response from the internet

 

[tonys]

i did a block ad in my local rag for 14 weeks here in north london, the only calls you get are people trying to sell me stuff.

ive found i get better response from the internet

Cheers for that

Just been looking through a local (covers a group of papers) and only 2 sparks running ads, there used to be at least 15 ads.

There used to be at least 30+ plumbing/heating ads, but a mutli trade company is advertising boliers from £999.00, put paid to that one as well.

 

[kung]

Good post ! was also thinking of newspaper ad but think ir'll stick with door to door leaflets

 

[nickblake]

Nick

Question for, if your only clearing £5.50 an hour after overheads why carry on?

Stationary car mechanics (garages) set their prices to cover all the overheads, rents business rates etc and they all work on the same ballpark figures within reason and at £96.00 an hours, sparks do look cheap £20.00.

I ain't arguing with anyone, but when push comes to shove and people get desperate (no me by the way) they will start under cutting to win work.

Back on to the car, people just love their motors a lot more than socket outlet etc, so they will always find money for them, but you know when it comes to electrics or a new TV, sod the electrics.

So do you not think that the consumer is going to start tightening their belts and sparkies either tow the line or lose out even more, because of price slashing etc.

Still pays the bills , i always work on the fact if i dont need it i dont buy it ,if i cant afford it i dont buy it , i have no credit cards or loans except my morgage ,and i love my job i have been on my own now for 3 years in july and im very busy ,yes the prices will be going up , but why should i give up , what i make pays the bills and i dont take exotic holidays so as long as there is food on the table and a roof over my head then im happy

 

[malcolmsanford]

Next week I intend to run ads in all my local papers right across my local area.

Just looking to nick a few a bit and pieces from the domestic sparks, if there's any work in my area (Herts and Essex)

I Need something to do and the odd pennies will come in handy until a longish contract starts in a few weeks.

Don't matter how qualified and how experienced I am, its what money people want to spend.

I'm thinking on the lines of £20 for the initial first hour of turning up, then maybe £15 an hour onwards.

Or should I go £20 then £10 onwards, bear in mind agencies don't want to pay that great money at the moment.

Can I ask sometihng are you affiliated to a scheme for Part P ?

If not will you be taken jobs that do not need notifying? Or if you do take notifiable jobs will you or will you advise the customer to contact the LABC to register it?

 

[tonys]

Malcolm

You ask what you like.

Part P schemes, no I'm not paying subs to any of them. Not being funny but being I'm a fully qualified apprenticed served gold card holder of a JIB Approved ticket with the 17th and 2391 and was a QS for an approved contractor for over 6 years and I have 27 years experience I would tell the customer you can inform the LABC if you choose too.

All jokes a side even though the above is all true, its an area I would think about if I were to pick enough work that needs to be notified. If not, I wouldn't carry on advertising.

 

[malcolmsanford]

So it's a bit of a side line then, the reason you can go to a tenner an hour is becasue basically your going to work on domestic installations and any notifiable work you will do and tell the customer it is upto to them to pay the 100 odd pounds extra for notification.

I wish you luck mate that extra socket in the kitchen you will charge 30 quid to do will most likely cost the customer nearly 200 pounds after the notification.

 

[tonys]

Putting this one on the back burner for now, so I won't affect the part p folk

Just had a phone call to start a long term Inspection & Testing contract tomorrow, money don't sound that great, but gonna give it ago

But Thanks for all the posts everyone

 

[rocker]

Mate you've got to be mental doing this work for 5.50.

Recently (as documented in another post) I started dropping my prices as I was worried about getting work, and all it's done is cause me problems. I also didn't get any more work from it - I'm telling you, those who are willing to pay will pay, the people we try and target when we drop our prices still won't take the work, as these are the kind of people who think everything can be done for a fiver. So we just end up charging people less who would have paid top dollar in the first place.

 

[SDELEC]

So it's a bit of a side line then, the reason you can go to a tenner an hour is becasue basically your going to work on domestic installations and any notifiable work you will do and tell the customer it is upto to them to pay the 100 odd pounds extra for notification.

I wish you luck mate that extra socket in the kitchen you will charge 30 quid to do will most likely cost the customer nearly 200 pounds after the notification.

totally agree malcolm, cant quite believe this thread really